Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, November 8, 2010
IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: THE JIM JONES REVUE – SHOOT FIRST: In a week marked by pop comebacks and cheesy heavy-hitters, it’s a welcome shot in the arm to find that The Jim Jones Revue are also releasing Shoot First as the second single off their critically acclaimed album Burning Your House Down. Produced by Grinderman’s Jim Sclavunos and recorded at Assault & Battery, the track is a breathless, piano drenched, ramshackle rock offering that really exemplifies all that’s great about listening to this band. Capturing the spirit of Jerry Lee Lewis and the Elvis Presley motto of “live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse”, it’s a livewire offering that begs the listener to “shoot first, ask questions later”. Jim Jones told us what inspired the track in a recent interview (link to which lies below). He said: “This song was aimed at dealing with the broader theme of ‘seize the day’ philosophy. We all know how easy it can be to over-think stuff and, as a result, completely miss out.” Shoot First will be available as a digital download only, along with a cover version of The Beatles’ song Get Back (recently recorded for MOJO Magazine to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Let It Be). Take it from us, you don’t want to miss out on this good time rock ‘n’ roll classic in the making!
Available as a download only
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Order the album l Album review l Jim Jones Revue interview
EP OF THE WEEK: PETE LAWRIE – IN THE END: Pete Lawrie is quickly becoming the surest bet for the next big British success story. Having already won a lot of friends for his eclectic debut EP, All That We Keep, the singer-songwriter returns with his similarly excellent In The End EP. Rather like its predecessor, the EP features three more golden examples of the broadness of Pete’s song-writing. His melody-driven southern soul draws upon bittersweet blues, gospel, and country, all capped by his rough-hewn vocal. The lead track is a ruggedly assured pop song dealing with an emphatic chorus and is instantly catchy. Lawrie even offsets his gruff style with a set of female vocals that’s utterly enchanting, while his folksy acoustic guitar licks are warm and welcoming in a Jack Johnson kind of way. He switches moods with the atmospheric, Hammond organ laced Black And Blue, which drops a more bluesy vibe and really gutsy feel that’s belatedly augmented by some good use of strings. Perhaps the weakest of the tracks, but still enchanting in its own way, is Souvenir – the sort of brooding acoustica that’s sure to draw comparisons with the likes of Ray Lamontagne. The EP then concludes with a raw and respectful cover of Loudon Wainwright III’s Motel Blues, which strips back the ‘70s roots and comes over all moody and poignant. Penny Lane born and Penarth bred Lawrie blames his parents for his idiosyncratic tastes in music and for the passion in his song-writing. His mother plays the oboe in an opera, his father makes woodwind instruments, and his grandfather played on the original recording of Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles. No matter what the reasons, Lawrie doesn’t need to apologise… but he demands to be heard.
Available as a download only
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
EP OF THE WEEK 2: AWOLNATION – BACK FROM EARTH EP: Take a deep breath… then press play! AWOLNATION drop their debut EP, Back From Earth, in breathless fashion. Headed by explosive lead single Burn It Down, an incendiary little cracker timed to coincide with Fireworks night, it’s a riotous fusion of rock ‘n’ roll vocals, jagged synth riffs, killer drum beats and firecracker guitar riffs. Admittedly, it takes a couple of listens to get the hang of it… but if The Heavy decided to combine with The Jim Jones Revue and add a little MGMT into the mix, you may be somewhere close to what to expect. It’s a hedonistic party record that demands to be screamed out loud. But the story doesn’t end there… and there’s more quality to follow. Guilty Filthy Soul is a funky slice of stop-start space-rock guitars, handclaps and finger clicks that really does channel the hip vibe of listening to The Heavy with a little Supertramp thrown in. If anything, it’s an even better track than Burn It Down. Sail then mixes kooky synth melodies (a la Enya?) with another set of ragged rock vocals and a fuzzy bass synth that is somehow addictive (and pained – with lyrics such as “maybe I should kill myself”), while MF combines hip-hop beats with a scintillating synth propulsion and some energetic mixing. It’s like The Beastie Boys came over all futuristic and hit the party scene with Prince. Completing this eclectic line-up is an Innerpartysystem remix of Burn It Down, which is every bit as in your face and compelling. The vibe surrounding these guys is pretty darn hot right now and listening to this EP it’s easy to see why.
Available as a download only
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
EP OF THE WEEK 3: THE NARCOLEPTIC DANCERS – NOT EVIDENT EP: The Narcoleptic Dancers are Anton Louis Jr and Melody Van Kappers, a Franco-Dutch duo, who are half brother and sister. Recently reconciled, destiny brought them together through their passion for music. A fresh pop folk act with a difference, The Narcoleptic Dancers provide the kind of easygoing, breezy folk-pop concoctions that could easily make the soundtrack of a hip indie soundtrack such as Juno. They possess retro values as well as contemporary cool and seem to specialise in disarmingly simple, but oh-so beautiful two minute plus offerings that effortlessly put a smile on the face. Melody’s vocals, meanwhile, are so jaw-droppingly sweet that you won’t want them to end. Five tracks comprise the EP, kicking off with the delightful Not Evident and including the sparkling, piano-soaked Sweet And Soft, which is utterly, enchantingly lovely. But in truth, they don’t put a foot wrong, with Again And Again another lush gem that has psychedelic leanings, and a demo of Rastakraut sending you away with a warm glow and wanting to bestow rapturous applause upon them. And in case you wanted to know where they got their name from… it’s in homage to their father. The sports press had given him the nickname due to his peculiar haircut and his nonchalant dribble. Their trademark: the Johnny “Narcoleptic Dancer” Van Kappers haircut. Check them out… you may just find your life enriched as a result.
Available as a download
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
TAKE THAT – FLOOD: Nothing that’s written will prevent the new single from Take That being one of the event releases of the year. Their reunion gigs – ie, the Robbie Williams ‘all is forgiven’ second coming – sold out in record time, and moving over one million in one day… and advance orders for the new album, Progress, are already through the roof. Sad to say, then, that new single Flood is a pretty safe return from them… an epic pop record that begins slowly and builds into a euphoric combination of layered vocals and string arrangements. It’s a mighty comeback tune that’s clearly designed to fill every pocket of every stadium the boys are playing, which celebrates the old while bringing something new. Unfortunately, in our opinion, that something new isn’t that exciting thus far. It’s got ‘huge hit’ written all over it… but for Take That it’s pretty formulaic.
Available in all formats
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
ROXANNE EMERY – REAL: Former banker turned singer-songwriter Roxanne Emery serves notice of her talents with the release of debut single, Real, from forthcoming album, Remember Me. Essentially, an acoustic ballad with folk-pop elements and some subtle string arrangements, it’s a hopeful song that examines the difference between fairytale, Hollywood-inspired romance and the reality of a long-term relationship (thankfully arriving at an optimistic conclusion). Throughout, Emery displays a fine set of vocals – by turns emotionally expressive and sweet – and a keen ear for a lovely melody, drawing on classic elements to deliver a deeply assured and highly likeable first single. The song also works well in stripped back acoustic form and can be found on YouTube in that respect. Take it from us, Emery is a new talent to watch as we approach 2011 and the inevitable search for breakthrough stars.
Editor’s note: Roxanne has also recently covered Foreigner’s I Want To Know What Love Is in stylish fashion. To view the results, click here
Available as a download
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Website l Roxanne Emery interview
BLOOD RED SHOES – LIGHT IT UP: Blood Red Shoes drop live favourite Light It Up complete with provocative video and a typically no-nonsense set of lyrics. Mixing heavy and melodic to rousing effect, and dropping a chant-style chorus, it’s easy to see why this goes down so well in live format… with the guitar work particularly thrilling in an Ash meets Nirvana and The Pixies kind of way. Commenting on the track, Blood Red Shoes’ Steven Ansell explained: “To me, Light It Up is like our Pixies formula song, just groove on the verses then smash the distortion up full on in the chorus. It’s about feeling like everything is about to explode and that you want it to explode as well as craving for chaos, upheaval and destruction because it might actually change something.” Commenting on the concept behind the video, he added: “The video is based on a youthful tribal destructive gathering, like a pagan celebration or explosion of collective energy. we shot it outside and the night before it snowed like crazy so we ended up with this really beautiful combination of fire and snow.”
Available in all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
BoB feat RIVERS CUOMO – MAGIC: Having scored a massive hit with the Haley Williams featuring Airplanes, BoB returns with another adventurous collaboration for Magic… and once again underlines his ability to drop some crossover fun. The track features Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo and offers a scintillating mix of rap and indie-pop that’s enlivened by a kick-ass beat and some fine melodies. BoB may not be revolutionising the music industry right now, but his music is fun, lively and capable of surprising by virtue of its surprising collaborations. His album, BoB Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray also features contributions from Eminem, TI, Janelle Monae, Playboy Tre and Lupe Fiasco, to name but a few. So without being completely special, BoB is working his own kind of rap-pop magic… of sorts!
Available in all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
PINK – RAISE YOUR GLASS: “Party crasher, panty snatcher”, “call me up if you are a gangster”, “don’t get fancy, just get dancy”…. Such lyrics can only mark the return of the no-nonsense punk-pop rocker Pink. Taken from the album Greatest Hits… So Far!!, Raise Your Glass is a typically sassy slice of Pink pop that gets you feeling jiggy, while remaining defiantly non-conformist lyrically. It grabs you from the start, with its tricksy guitar licks and ballsy attitude, before then dropping some fun melodies and a fine sense of spirit to celebrate the landmark in Pink’s career. Many try and imitate her (from Katy Perry to Ke$ha), but this is a firm underlining that there’s only really one Pink: and we love her for it! This is guilty pleasure pop-rock of high quality.
Available in all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
TROPHY WIFE – MICROLITE: Oxford trio Trophy Wife describe their sound as “ambitionless office disco”. They release their debut single Microlite through Moshi Moshi. The track is about an everlasting journey: one by which you never arrive at a destination, but that somehow becomes perpetually fulfilling. It’s lean and occasionally beautiful, with sparse rhythms melting around chiming guitars and augmented by lead singer Jody Prewett’s fragile, restrained vocals. It actually works best during the instrumental interludes, when electronic waves crash against those distinct guitar riffs and a smart beat provides an energetic backdrop. The vocals add an echoed feel, while a mid-track breakdown into more trippy territory doesn’t really work (likewise, the “a whoa” laden outro), but there’s plenty of potential and don’t bet against the instrumentals being snapped up for use in some advert or sports promo pretty darn soon. Bonus track Take This Night is similarly appealing… proving that this trio really know how to deliver a telling instrumental backdrop.
Available as a download only
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
MCFLY feat TAIO CRUZ – SHINE A LIGHT: It’s a big week for pop’s heavy hitting boy bands. Take That are back, and so are the new look McFly, plying synth pop and recruiting Taio Cruz for extra pop bounce. The result, unsurprisingly, is a cheesy ode to a lost love that still manages to sound euphoric. What is surprising, however, is just how much of a guilty pleasure the ensuing record is… a competent mixing of styles between McFly and Taio Cruz that actually marks the best that both have had to offer in some time. McFly do appear to be rejuvenated by the change in direction, while Cruz gets to add some grit to the euphoric synth sound that had threatened to become generic. It won’t win awards for originality, and it probably won’t be able to compete with the Take That sales tidal wave, but it is catchy and will have you bopping about the living room. Just don’t tell anyone we said so!
Available in all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
METALS – DROP YOUR GUARD: Aussie newcomers Metals would appear to be an act to keep an eye on. New single Drop Your Guard is instantly catchy and different, while the video that accompanies it rates among the most distinctive of the year. The track itself builds upon the foundation of a guitar riff to create a crisp electro-rock banger that provides a scintillating blend of robo-pop, rock and the soulful vocals of Candice Butler. It may take a couple of listens, but it really does get into your head in a good way. To augment the sound, Digital Primate offer an emphatic serving of neon beats, bass-heavy garage and distorted guitar licks that ensure that Butler’s evocative vocals and political musings lend the track its edgy, distinct vibe. As if that weren’t enough, though, the video features the works of Box Wars and has Candice fighting cardboard robots while wearing a cardboard dress. You really need to check this act out!
Available as a download only
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
COCKnBULLKID – ONE EYE CLOSED: CocknBullKid has made a couple of important transitions recently. First, she’s changed her name, dropping the pronoun (she’s CocknBullKid, not thecocknbullkid). And secondly, she has emerged from a creative cocoon with a suite of bright, breezy and ultra-colourful pop songs that exist at least five giant leaps away from the savvy, autobiographical electro tunes like On My Own that got her a slot on Jools Holland even before she signed to Island/Moshi Records. The first taster of this new creative outpouring is the single One Eye Closed, which at the very least marks her out as a fiercely provocative pop manufacturer. The track opens with a kickass beat and some killer guitar riffs that suggest something heavy, before dropping a sensuous set of vocals and a pure pop chorus that’s more girl band than rock chick. It’s an edgy mix that commands your attention, even if you’re never entirely sure of its success. But you’ll still find your feet tapping along with it. Remixes come from Jakwob, Kris Menace and B Complex and enforce the feeling that this CocknBullKid is one to watch as 2011 approaches.
Available as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
POLLY MACKEY & THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE – HIGHER: Xfm backed Polly Mackey & The Pleasure Principle drop their debut commercially released single Higher off the back of a warm response from SXSW and HMV’s Next Big Thing. Produced by Robert Harder (Babyshambles, Dsvid Byrne), the track combines Polly’s gutsy vocals with some thumping rhythms and a driving, anthemic chorus that could well help place the band in line for a spot on the soundtrack to a film like Twilight. That is to say, there’s an edgy pop-rock feel to proceedings that is comparable to bands such as Paramore, with a little PJ Harvey thrown in. It’s catchy without being particularly memorable, but definitely suggestive of bigger, better things to come.
Available as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
GAZELLE TWIN – CHANGELINGS: Gazelle Twin is the solo project of Brighton-based singer, composer, producer, performer, visual artist Elizabeth Walling. Gazelle Twin is her world, one of dark electronica and sonic landscapes that recall the ethereal qualities of Bjork, the moody atmospherics of Massive Attack, and the orchestral sound of Enya. Changelings, her debut single, offers existential lyrics, dramatic symphonies and dark electronica with an accompanying video that features an abstract world of shifting storms and changing faces. It’s haunting, beguiling and kind of hypnotic – but only in small doses. The single’s B-sides come n form of an abstract cover of Prince’s I Wonder U (which is too off the wall and out there) and a remix of Changelings by electro renegade The Enormous Shadow, which is pretty decent. Gazelle Twin releases a second single in February, with the debut album, The Entire City, set for release in Spring 2011. At the moment, she’s raised our curiosity.
Available as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
LIVE LIKE LIONS – CECILE: Originally from Devon, Live Like Lions was formed in the summer of 2009 by three childhood friends – Ben, Sam and Jay, who earned their spurs in bands of various styles in their home region. Having come together, however, they have recently supported the likes of White Rose Movement and Little Comets, and honed a sound that has been likened to Friendly Fires and MGMT. New single Cecile doesn’t really bear those comparisons out… emerging as a more ‘80s leaning fusion of Depeche Mode meets Duran Duran with an upbeat tempo and euphoric vocal delivery wrapped around a synth-driven chorus. Lyrically, the track tells the true story of a friend who is high-level banker stuck behind his office desk holding a secret that only gets revealed at nights: HE actually prefers to be a SHE. It’s breezy but nowhere near as captive or memorable as some of the PR text suggests…
Available as a download
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
FOREIGN OFFICE – ON REPEAT: On Repeat is the second single to be released from Hackney based four-piece Foreign Office, comprising of Paul Cousins (vox), George Hume (guitar), James Woodley (drums) and Duncan Hillman (Keys). Known for their distinctive sound, which draws from 60’s and 70’s soul and funk, as well as ‘80s post-punk elements, the band have quickly found themselves aligned with bands such as A Certain Ratio, Roxy Music and Talking Heads for their music-making. New single On Repeat certainly has a Talking Heads kind of vibe, weaving some addictive drum loops, jangly punk guitar licks and synth flourishes around some edgy vocals that do possess a Byrne-esque quality. Ironically, it’s the vocals that are probably the weakest element of the band on this occasion. Commenting on the meaning behind the lyrics, Paul Cousins says: “Guidance is often absent from the people who surround us. (“No-one told me ‘this is your life, you’d better get used to it‘’) and everyone is absorbed in their own patterns. It’s important to rely on our own judgment for awareness of our situation. (“I need something to break the monotony”) Although we may acknowledge the need for a solution, if it can’t be found we slip back into repetition and acceptance that we are forever stuck. (“I’m stuck stuck On Repeat”).”
Available as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
PULL IN EMERGENCY – THE PROBLEM/BACKFOOT: Pull In Emergency – Faith Barker (lead vocals), Alice Costelloe (guitar/keys/vocals), Dylan Holmes (bass/vocals), Frankie Bowmaker (lead guitar) and Suneet Chohan (drums) – formed in 2006 at school in North London and released several singles on the Mute Irregulars label before releasing their debut in Mute in Summer 2010. They now release the Double-A sided The Problem/Backfoot from that LP and kind of impress without making you go too bonkers about them. Lead track The Problem plays like a female sung Strokes track (it comes as no surprise to find that the album’s producer Gordon Raphael has worked with The Strokes) and is a punchy slice of indie-punk. But Backfoot is the more disarming offering… tapping into the jangly indie pop sound that their PR also credits them with producing. Throughout, Faith Baker provides an appealing vocal presence, while the guitar work is crisp, lively and eclectic enough to offer each track something different and worth listening to. An acoustic version of Song 11 is the pick of the three tracks on offer here, though.
Available as a download
Rating: 3 out of 5
THE AFTERMATH – NORTHERN LINGERIE: Credited with being the saviours of Irish lad rock by The Irish Independent, The Aftermath drop their debut UK single in the form of the lively Northern Lingerie. Taken from their debut album Friendlier Up Here, which explores the themes of love, death, sex and call centres, bad Hollywood remakes and Delia Smith cookery books, Northern Lingerie is a gutsy rock offering that features some distinct (and fine) guitar riffs, a powerful (and endearing) chorus and a catchy sensibility that should win them plenty of fans. And it would seem this band is going places. The self-penned and self-financed album was recorded in France with Karl and Dave Odlum. But production duties were performed by Phil Vinyl, the man behind Placebo, Elastica and Pulp, mixing by Ger McDonald of Travis and U2 fame and words of wisdom came courtesy of legendary producer Mike Hedges and Irish Jack Lyons, an old associate of The Who’s. The Waterboy’s Steve Wickham joined the fray, as did Damien Rice cellist Vyvienne Long and Paul Weller keyboardist Helen Turner who continues to play live with the band. Check them out… and it’s easy to hear why they’re currently attracting such top notch industry support.
Available as a download
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
STAGES OF DAN – GARY/WHAT IS LOVE?: After a year of building up fans on circuit gigs across the UK, November 2009 saw Stages of Dan self-release a debut EP and host a launch party to a capacity crowd at The Social in London. The next month saw Steve Lamacq of BBC 6Music champion them as his ‘Unsigned Band of the Week’, with their EP being played on both his and Tom Robinson’s shows. They now drop the single Gary, which offers a scintillating mix of catchy Surf Rock riffs with the energy of Punk. The guitar work is particularly thrilling, while the ‘oooh wooo” laden chorus is made for humming along to, particularly in live form. A promo only cover version of What Is Love? is also worth tracking down, as it’s delivered with gusto and suggests that Stages of Dan are well worth the 6 Music backing and positive word of mouth. Stages of Dan are a London based trio made up of Chris Aliano (Guitar/Vocals), Chris ‘Big Chris’ Bryant (Bass/vox) and Guy Davidson (Drums/vox).
Available as a download
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
CHASE AND STATUS feat TEMPA T – HYPEST HYPE: Monday (November 8) marked a big day for Chase And Status fans… given that it saw the release of free download, Hypest Hype (from their website, link below), as well as the announcement of a new album, No More Idols, which will be released on January 31, 2011. The single itself is a loud, brash and pretty obnoxious fusion of drum ‘n’ bass, hard dance and urban grime/rap. It blasts its way out of the speakers at you like some sonic assault, dropping a gritty vocals from the lead duo as well as guest collaborator Tempa T. But while the best thing that can be said about it is that it’s free to fans (and therefore to be applauded), it’s also the type of forgettable offering that leaves you needing to clear your throat and reaching for the headache tablet drawer.
Available as a free download only
Rating: 2 out of 5
SHAYNE WARD – GOTTA BE SOMEBODY: Former X Factor winner Shayne Ward prepares for the release of his third album, Obsession, by dropping this tediously generic single Gotta Be Somebody. A cover version of the Nickelback rock offering, it’s a lazy attempt to curry favour with the Simon Cowell listening brigade, complete with cheesily generic synths and high gloss production values from Ray Hedges and Nigel Butler. Ward enthusiasts call it euphoric and inspiring; we’d describe it as lazy and dispiriting. To make matters worse, the Nickelback original wasn’t even particularly memorable, begging the question: “Why bother?”
Available in all formats
Rating: 1 out of 5
YOUNGER BROTHER – NIGHT LEAD ME ASTRAY: Simon Posford, Benji Vaughan and Ruu Campbell are the creative driving force behind electronica infused post rock rebels Younger Brother… a very unique underground, electronic, dance band whom over the past couple of years have been carving out their very own musical i-dent across the world. Their PR credits them with being one of the biggest bands you’ve never heard of, thanks to having received close to 500,000 profile views and nearly 600,000 plays on Myspace. Being blunt, it’s hard to see how their current single, Night Lead Me Astray will broaden awareness of them… as it’s an underwhelming indicator of what they do. That is to say, moody neon vocals and lyrics set against a synth based, yet rock leaning backdrop that never really gets going. The slow-build, layered approach is suggestive of bigger acts such as Coldplay and Keane… yet the emotional reach is nowhere near as enticing. It failed to impress me.
Available as a download
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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